Pennsylvania's Great Lakes Region
www.pagreatlakes.com
"Girls Only" Road Trips
Erie & Meadville "Girls Only" Road Trip | Mercer & Venango "Girls Only" Road Trip
Erie & Meadville "Girls Only" Road Trip 
(Printable PDF)
Begin with a drive along Route 6 in Crawford County to LILAC SPRINGS, a spa and recourse in a renovated 19th Century farmhouse, nestled on 70 serene acres. If you're looking for a place to eat, stop by JULIAN'S CAFE for New York style deli lunches and great coffee, or visit the MEADVILLE MARKET HOUSE, which offers fresh baked goods, candies, homemade pasta, specialty coffees, maple sugar products and crafts. Catch a dinner theater production at the RIVERSIDE INN in Cambridge Springs. Listed on the National Historic Registry, this turn-of-the-century hotel has 74 rooms decorated in antique furnishings and old-world charm. The RIVERSIDE HEALTH SPA features a full service beauty salon, massage, Reiki, tanning and therapeutic sitting room. Discover the beautiful pottery and art at CAMPBELL POTTERY STORE & GALLERY renovated barn off Route 99/Plank Road, where you can browse displays of art glass, fine metal, wood, jewelry and clay works by over 200 craftsmen. Next, tour Edinboro, home of LAKE EFFECTS which features local artists working in stained glass, jewelry and print. Take Route 99 north to Erie and the MILLCREEK MALL, with its 175 + department stores, shops and restaurants. Take Peach Street / Route 19 to the "UPPER PEACH STREET SHOPPING DISTRICT" with plazas, restaurants and attractions. For unique shopping, visit VILLAGE WEST SHOPPING CENTER, RELISH BEACH GLASS JEWELRY, HOFMANN'S CHURCH & RELIGIOUS GOODS or the COLONY PLAZA. Make your way to Erie's downtown and board the VICTORIAN PRINCESS paddleboat for a cruise of Presque Isle Bay. Explore Erie's shops, restaurants and museums, including GLASS GROWERS GALLERY, the ERIE ART MUSEUM and MARKETPLACE GRILL.
Mercer & Venango "Girls Only" Road Trip (Printable PDF)
Mercer and Venango counties are known for their shopping. REYERS in Sharon is the world's largest shoe store, showcasing over 175,000 different styles of footwear. Across the street is THE WINNER, the world's largest off-price ladies fashion store with four floors of designer clothing. Before heading to the PRIME OUTLETS in Grove City or the SHENANGO VALLEY MALL in Hermitage, experience the BUHL MANSION GUESTHOUSE AND SPA, where their trained staff provides you with massages, hydrotherapy, tanning, facials and beauty services. Indulge in delicious chocolate at DAFFIN'S CANDIES in Sharon or PHILADELPHIA CANDIES in Hermitage. Visit TARA - A COUNTRY INN, and experience the luxuries of the Old South and days gone by. Tara features ASHLEY'S GOURMET DINING ROOM or the cozy STONEWALL'S TAVERN. Other restaurant suggestions include the 1866 RESTAURANT & TAPROOM, the SPRINGFIELD GRILLE, the IRON BRIDGE INN or RACHEL'S ROADHOUSE.
Take Interstate 80 towards Venango County and Franklin, the Victorian City. Filled with elegant homes and tree-lined streets, Franklin has every major architectural style used from 1830 to 1930, from Federal Hill to the stately homes in Miller Park and the Historic District. Visit the DEBENCE ANTIQUE MUSIC WORLD, with its collection of more than 100 musical instruments dating from the 1800s, including player pianos, calliopes, nickelodeons and music boxes. See ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH and its display of signed Tiffany stained glass windows, one of only six complete sets in the country. Designed and personally installed by Louis Comfort Tiffany, the collection has eight sets of religious-themed triple lancet windows. A short drive on Route 8 brings you into "The Valley That Changed the World." In Oil City, discover distinctive Victorian architecture and antique co-operatives like the OIL CITY WAREHOUSE MALL, with over 50 vendors selling antiques, accessories, glassware, jewelry and furniture, all at affordable prices. The VENANGO MUSEUM OF ART, SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY features exhibits about the city's beginnings, oil history and the continuing ways oil influences our daily lives. Nearby is the TRANSIT BUILDING and the TRANSIT FINE ARTS GALLERY, featuring artwork by regional artists.
